The Lady in White

When I was growing up, I lived in a haunted house. What's interesting is that I didn't realize it was haunted at the time. I had no idea that what I was seeing other people couldn't see. To me, it was perfectly natural. I still remember sitting by my window and watching people go by. In my home, however, that was a different story. I knew that they didn't belong. I suppose, in a way, that is how they felt about us. We didn't belong. There was this one spirit (a woman) that stands out in my mind the most. I will refer to her as the lady in white.

The lady in white wore a beautiful white gown that flowed down to the ground. Her hair was a light brown, and her eyes were like amber. I would see her at night. There was one night that stands out from the rest. On this night, she opened the bedroom door and stood at the entryway. There was something about the way she stared at me that filled me with fear. I was paralyzed with terror as I sat in my bed staring at the ethereal woman. Her eyes pierced my own as her right hand lifted from her side. I knew immediately that she was calling for me to follow her.

I considered it. My heartbeat raced as I pondered what following her would mean. Would she take me to the other side? What secrets would she share with me if I went with her? Would I ever see my family again? At the tender age of nine, it was hard to consider all of those possibilities. Should I go with her to those unknown places? As I looked down and saw my younger brother curled up next to me, I knew instinctively that I couldn't follow her. He needed me, and I needed him. If I were gone, he would be left alone, and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him to fend for himself. The night terrors would be my battle, and I had found the resolve I needed to lead her away from him.

The urge to protect him was so strong that I was able to force my paralyzed feet to move. "If I can get to my parents, everything will be alright," I reasoned, and with all of the strength I could muster, I jumped off the bed and ran towards her. She smiled as I approached, but her features changed almost immediately as she discovered that I had no intention of slowing down. I ran harder and faster than I'd ever run before and slide past her on my way towards our parent's bedroom.

With steeled resolve, I ran, not looking back but feeling her on my heels. My heartbeat pounded out of my chest, and my breath became labored. 'I just need to reach their room,' I thought to myself as I kept moving forward. I reached their door and pushed it open. I stumbled as I attempted to close it and cursed myself for wasting time doing so. I could hear her rattling the doorknob, and I kept moving towards their bed.

They were both fast asleep, and I dared not wake them. Instead, I crawled onto their bed and lifted the sheets. Tucking myself under the covers, I laid and waited, eyes closed with my small hands firmly gripping the sheet. I felt her standing over the edge of the bed. I felt the tug of the sheets, and I closed my eyes even tighter. I held my breath because I thought that if she couldn't hear me breathe, she wouldn't know where I was.

I stayed like that, eventually drifting off to a restless slumber. When morning greeted me, I was still there, lying at the foot of their bed, fingers clenched tightly to the sheet. 'Was it all a dream?' I wondered. My head was dizzy with doubt, and I was left to wonder if she had been a figment of my imagination or the real deal.

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